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Mob Burgers Celebrating Four Years on the Fourth

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Stroll into Marino’s Mob Burgers and Ice Cream parlor and you are not likely to escape the eye of General Manager Esther Mendoza. Elegantly bedazzled in sequence and jewels reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s, Mendoza will have an endearing nickname and a “we’ve-known-each-other-forever” greeting that draws you in.

Nevermind the hand-pressed fresh, never frozen, beef patties or the irreplaceable Thrifty ice cream that make this a local hangout, the secret ingredients that keep guests coming back are the respect, kindness and love that Mendoza and the costumed staff serve up in generous helpings.

“It’s kind of like going into a ‘mom and pop’ place. From the time you walk in the door, you’re treated with a fun time. I like to joke around with the customers, we have names for everyone and we want to play with them. They have names for me, too, like ‘Pearl’ because of the pearls around my neck, or ‘Mama,’” she said.

With all the unbridled spirit of the Old West, Mendoza hands out silverware and cautions diners to be careful with their “weapons.” She trains servers to come to work to play, as well. Dressing the part is in the contract for the front of the house. Mob Burgers provides dresses, jewelry, bow ties, suspenders and fedoras, but Mendoza has learned that staff members enjoy owning and wearing their own costumes.

Dave and Sherry Marino, the owners who previously opened Marino’s Corner Bistro, have enjoyed much success with the restaurant in its five years of operation. “If you believe in God, it was meant to be,” said Dave. “Every door was opened every time we’d come up against an obstacle that would be a show stopper.”

“It’s been fabulous! We have great employees and great food. Esther puts her heart and soul into this place,” said Sherry.

Mendoza, like many locals, grew up enjoying burgers and shakes under the same roof, when the establishment was known as Kendall’s Famous Burgers and Ice Cream. “It brought back so much history when I was a young girl of 13 or 14 years old coming into this location after school.”

Now, at age 40, Mendoza wants to repeat the same joy and warmth she felt with today’s kids. “We have a big clientele of students. You should see Fridays and Wednesdays! They write us notes telling us this is their favorite place.”

Before opening, the Marinos renovated the building. “We took down the low ceiling and found the 1900s’ version of the dining room. Everything in there was more than 100 years old. The original tin ceiling had too many holes in it from the old stove that used to heat the building, so we replaced it.”

They found a company on the East Coast that could match the old tin ceiling, complete with the Prescott stamp. They also removed walls, installed a new floor and exposed the brick. During the renovation, they found evidence of the Home Bakery owned by the Hume family from the 1860s. The Marinos are considering bringing back the bakery.

“We love the history of the town and we have the biggest desire to preserve it, not cover it,” said Dave. “We love our customers. Some, who are in their 70s and 80s now, came here when they were kids.”

Marino’s Mob Burger and Ice Cream is located at 113 S. Cortez Street, on the square in historic downtown Prescott. The Mob’s gang is planning to celebrate its fourth anniversary on the Fourth of July in classic all-American style with an ice cream bash. For more information, call 928-515-1690. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Local Meadery Gaining Global Attention

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Jeff and Jennifer Herbert of Prescott started with an unknown home-brewing operation and now, just seven years later, have won the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) “Small Business Persons of the Year in Arizona” award

The Herberts, owners of Superstition Meadery, will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the award ceremony on May 5-6. They represent Arizona among the 53 businesses from all states and U.S. territories to be honored. The week before, on May 2, the Herberts will be recognized at the state level during the 26th Arizona SBA Enterprise Business Awards luncheon in Scottsdale.

Speaking for both, Jeff Herbert told the Quad Cities Business News, “We were stunned to hear we’d been selected from among all the small businesses in Arizona to receive such a prestigious award. We’re humbled that our business, Superstition Meadery, has achieved such high recognition at the national level.”

SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said she is privileged to honor a man and woman who represent the best among 30 million small businesses across the country.

Superstition Meadery Products Now Distributed Nationally, Internationally

In 2008, when they first made mead at their former home in Apache Junction, the Herberts had no idea that their homebrewing adventure would win them national and international acclaim. Jeff explained, “My first homebrew was a stout recipe. Before that first beer was finished fermenting, I visited a homebrew store and asked for a mead recipe. It turned out that my first meads tasted much better than my first beers.” While Jeff and Jennifer did not know it at the time, many of those early homebrew meads evolved into recipes that they make commercially today.

In 2012, one year after moving to Prescott, they established the first Alternating Proprietorship in Arizona, which is where one separate licensed winery leases space from another. At the former Juniper Well Ranch and Vineyards in Skull Valley, they shared production and packaging equipment. In just four bourbon barrels and one stainless fermenter, they made 300 gallons of mead and cider. Two production facilities later, Superstition Meadery had become the largest winery in Arizona by the end of 2017.

“We think by the end of this year, we’ll have produced 39,000 gallons of product, including mead, hard cider and even hard seltzer and zinfandel wine,” said Jeff.

The Herberts’ initial success with those first mead products led them to move from Skull Valley to Prescott. They opened Superstition Meadery as a retail business in a historic downtown building on Gurley Street. Locals tasted the mead and liked it. Its reputation grew. Before long, out-of-towners and tourists helped spread the word.

In less than a decade, the Herberts have expanded the market for their mead to virtually every community in Arizona. They also ship to 37 other states and to Washington, D.C. Sales do not stop at the U.S. border. Now, their products are available at select European retailers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and also in Asia in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand.

Jeff grinned when he said, “Mead is the most delicious beverage you’ve probably never had.” He then explained that the variety of flavors is unlimited. “In our production facility, we have made over 200 unique meads and hard ciders. They range from dry to sweet, and can be sparkling. We’re always developing new flavors.”

As founding members of the American Mead Makers Association (AMMA), Jeff and Jennifer played an important role in defining and growing the modern mead industry. Jeff served as a board member and editor of the AMMA journal, and they helped draft legislation that was introduced to the U.S. Congress. When they started Superstition Meadery, about 150 mead makers existed in the U.S. Today, there are more than 600, with 200 more in the planning phase.

What is Mead?

According to the Herberts, mead is an alcoholic beverage that results from fermenting honey with water or fruit juice with the option to blend in other flavors from spices, fruits, grains or hops. Historically, mead is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man. Evidence of honey being used in fermented drinks dates to 7,000 BC in China.

The defining characteristic of mead is that the beverage’s fermentable sugar comes from honey. The Herberts’ source for pure Arizona honey is Crockett’s Honey in Tempe. When the opportunity arises, they also enjoy working with small local beekeepers to create traditional meads that highlight unique honey varietals like ironwood and catclaw. However, they create many of their dozens of distinctive flavors by identifying and buying the best international ingredients they can find, such as saffron from Morocco, or vanilla beans from Tahiti.

They produce the mead in a production facility they designed and built in 2016 and now are expanding. They have 25 employees, many of whom share round-the-clock duties in supervising the complex production process.

The mead and hard ciders ferment in expensive 1,000-gallon stainless steel tanks. Many of the products are aged in hundreds of toasted and charred oak barrels stacked four high on racks in a carefully monitored, climate-controlled building on the northeast edge of Prescott Regional Airpark. Following the bottling process in the same building, the beverages are boxed and distributed locally, nationally and internationally.

In Prescott, Superstition Meadery has thousands of bottles shelved in a tasting room located at 120. W. Gurley. It is open seven days a week. But soon, the mead will be available in a much larger Arizona market.

“What’s really exciting is that we’re expanding our retail sales to Phoenix. We’ll soon open our new place called Superstition Downtown, which is located between award-winning Chef Chris Bianco’s Pizzeria Bianco and the new Pane Bianco restaurant just east of the downtown core,” Jeff explained. It will be on the northeast corner of 11th and Washington streets. They hope to open in early 2020.

The Herberts are enthusiastic about their business future and are thrilled that six of their brews were recently included in the Ratebeer.com list of the 15 best meads in the world. Jeff added, “We’re proud to share our delicious beverages with everyone.”

For more information, visit Superstitionmeadery.com or call 928-458-4256. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Designing a Life; Growing a Business

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“If you put energy, focus and heart into what you desire, it will unfold for you,” said Sadie Sarti, owner of Sadie Sarti Design Co. “So, be positive, think big, believe in people and businesses, and do good in your community. If we believe in ourselves and follow these ideas, we can live a fulfilling life.”

Sarti has applied her philosophy to her career, family and community, and is now leading four employees in web and graphic design.

“It’s a fun and inspiring place to work,” Sarti said. “We are a growing business where each time we hire a new employee it is like adding someone to our family. We have a great time collaborating and discussing our projects as we work together.”

The company helps clients reach target audiences with design and messaging. “I love the word-of-mouth referrals. There is no bigger compliment than someone referred by one of my existing clients calling to ask about a new website. We strive to be really authentic with everyone we work with and help them achieve their goals. It is rewarding to see that we accomplish that and our clients appreciate us for it.”

Cherishing relationships while tending to business, Sarti spends her working hours managing, supporting and interacting with clients, prospects, designers and other professionals.   

“I wake up to my two beautiful boys, now 9 and 11, get us ready for the day and run them to school. When I arrive at the office, usually with a cup of coffee in hand, I look over the email communications for the day. The time I actually get to do design work is limited at this point, but I love providing feedback and pushing my designers in the direction that best fits the client.”

Sarti learned about computer systems from two brothers who tinkered building them. Her   parents had careers as fine artists. The family would travel the country to galleries and museums, discussing composition and design. Those encounters were “very influential in shaping my view of art and design,” she says, and spurred her to study art and art history at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Sarti had no inkling then that she would pursue graphic design, a discipline that beckoned after college and after she got married. With her first son on the way, it also gave her the opportunity to work from home. 

Sarti had performed website maintenance for a fine art print company, which became her first client. She expanded services to Durango-area businesses and designed real estate flyers. When a friend established a rafting company, he hired Sarti to create the website.       

“I had never built a site from scratch, but I took the challenge and learned a great deal from that experience. I found I had a real talent for understanding all the complexities of that field, as well as how to use my artistic background to help businesses visually organize their content in an effective way.”

Businesses had just begun to recognize the importance of a strong web presence, a trend still demanding quality web design 11 years later. 

“It is rewarding to work with so many local businesses and organizations. The work that we do stays incredibly interesting because of the wide variety of subjects we are introduced to. From non-profit missions to selling spices, we never know what our next project will have us dive into.”

Sarti believes success is as much about an owner/manager choosing the right people as the cohesiveness of the group they have become. 

“My design team [was created based on] their talent as well as how I thought they would fit into our team,” Sarti explained. “We spend a lot of time together and collaborate on most projects. I needed a team that would be good thinkers, get along and work together while complementing each other’s skills.” 

Despite the pressure of so much to accomplish during the limited hours of any given day, Sarti said she loves the independence of business ownership. Her downtown Prescott location enables her to walk to many clients’ offices, providing a sense of community.

“All the hats that I wear as a business owner gets exhausting sometimes, but we always figure out how to get all the work done,” she added. “Changing technology and troubleshooting challenges are big as well; we have to stay up on these changes so that we can be current with our offerings.”

Despite the intense workload, she also has volunteered for the past nine years with Prescott Area Young Professionals (PAYP) and recently joined the board of Prescott Downtown Partnership (PDP). Yoga and hiking help her stay focused.

Family is Sarti’s greatest reward. “I have to just walk away from my to-do list when it is time to pick up my boys. I really enjoy being a mom, attending school events and watching baseball games. I make sure that I prioritize my family at every important moment.” QCBN

By Sue Marceau, QCBN

Making Later Life Easier

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With the number of people living to the age of 85 and beyond expected to double from more than 6.4 million today to 14.6 million by 2040, companies like Comfort Keepers are expecting the demand to continuously increase for those needing day-to-day assistance.

Comfort Keepers provides as much or as little help required to enable the elderly to live in their homes as long as possible. Services include providing meals, doing shopping, running errands, reminding about medication, performing light housekeeping and laundry, and also personal care.

Owner Cindy Harris says Comfort Keepers strives to get the client involved in life again.

“Like when they [the caregivers] are cooking a favorite meal, they ask the client to help them with the recipe. We try to make it interactive.”

Jim Ellis and his wife, who are in their 80s, have been clients of Comfort Keepers for the past eight years. “I don’t know what we would have done without them,” said the Flagstaff resident. “They have been a lifesaver for us. We started out three days a week and right now, we are having them seven days a week, twice a day. They are the first people here to help out whenever necessary.”

Ellis’s wife has Alzheimer’s, but with the company’s support, she has been able to stay at home. “That has been a real comfort to both me and her,” Ellis said.

Harris, who has been with the company since 2003, is the owner of Comfort Keepers in Prescott Valley, Flagstaff, Payson, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. She says she is very careful about who she hires. “I am proud of how we hire the caregivers here. There is a huge caregiver shortage and its going to get worse.”

Harris grew up with four stepbrothers and two half sisters. Born in New Mexico, her father’s engineering job took the family to numerous states. “Our last major venture was in Kayenta on the Navajo reservation. My father was the assistant superintendent for the Black Mesa Pipeline. We lived there for five years.

“The boys and girls were all friends who explored this vast area together,” she said. “We made our own fun playing baseball, swimming, riding motorcycles and exploring caves.”

She finished high school in Flagstaff.

Harris loves music, especially country and piano-based blues. “I love to dance and laugh.”

An animal lover, she has had as many as three dogs at one time. For fun, she enjoys time with friends, taking them exploring in her CanAm side-by-side, and having a good red wine with dinner.

“Lake Powell is my favorite place to revisit,” she said, but adds that her heart is with her clients and her business.

“I had always wanted a business of my own. I can go to work every day, but I wanted to do something that makes a difference. If I spend time with a client, it grounds me. It brings me back to life.”

Harris receives letters and thank-you cards from clients and their families. “That makes me realize why I am here.”

Steve Nunn, who lives in Phoenix, has Comfort Keepers watch over his 92-year-old father, Jimmie Nunn, who lives in Flagstaff. For the last five years, the staff has far exceeded his expectations. “Some of the caregivers are particularly good and proactive. They let me know if something might need attention in the house,” he said. “When I found I needed to make changes with what I would like to do for my father, they have been very accommodating.”

Caregivers receive training updates, especially for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. They learn how to handle different scenarios and help family members, who can sometimes become frustrated.

Harris also works with a company that helps veterans who didn’t know they qualify for free in-home care. QCBN

By Patty McCormac, QCBN

To learn more about Comfort Keepers, call 928-541-0888.

Verde Ranch RV Resort Set for August Opening  

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Reservations are being taken for Verde Ranch RV Resort, located off Highway 260 near Camp Verde. The facility offers more than 400 full hookup RV sites and vacation rental cabins. 

“There is so much to see and do, we can’t wait to share Verde Ranch with our guests,” said Lisa Harold, chief operating officer of Contemporary Resorts and Residences, developer of the new RV and vacation rental community. “Verde Ranch is well under way and it is gorgeous. Our onsite amenities include a pool, two Jacuzzis, pickleball courts, clubhouse, river recreation access, fitness center, pet parks and other features designed to give our guests the royal treatment.” Harold added that firepits, walking trails, concierge kayak and ATV rentals and other services are all part of the Verde Ranch plan. 

The Verde River runs through the Verde Ranch RV Resort, which is scheduled to open in August. For more information, visit verderanchrvresort.com. WCBN 

 
 

Photo caption:  

Renderings show solar-covered RV sites. 

Courtesy image 

 

Volunteers are Not Free

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It’s been said that time is our most valuable asset. So, it’s an incredibly precious gift when someone volunteers to give it away. It may be providing labor for a project, like building a home in a developing nation; or offering expertise, like when retired business people volunteer for organizations like SCORE to mentor budding entrepreneurs; or serving people in need, like dishing up meals at the Flagstaff Family Foodbank.

Volunteers are found in non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses. But Keith Davenport, a public relations executive who has been in charge of massive events for Disney and the Olympics, reminds us that volunteers are not free. “They need food, t-shirts, praise. Moments before the event should be the most exciting and inspirational,” he said. “I want this to be an amazing experience for everyone involved.”

Fill a Sandbag, Change Your Life

There are many reasons why people volunteer. Here are three:

1

It’s good for your health. Global Vision International (GVI) says studies show that helping others takes our minds off of our own problems. The GVI website states, “Your stress levels start to decrease, your immune system is strengthened and your overall sense of life satisfaction increases.” A friend of mine reports she pulled herself out of depression by exiting her pity party and volunteering for a mental health facility to listen to others who were suffering. She says that’s the moment her healing began. 

2

It’s an opportunity to give to a cause in which you believe or something for which you have a passion. Animal lovers on the island of Kauai volunteer at the local shelter to take a dog on a hike. Surfers in California and New Jersey take kids with cognitive and/or physical disabilities out on their boards through The Best Day Foundation.

3

  It builds skills and can boost your career. Volunteers come with a wide variety of talents or none at all. It’s likely you’ll learn some things that can be listed on your résumé later, and it could be a great networking opportunity. Relationships happen while filling sandbags.  

Costs Associated with Volunteers

The idea of recruiting volunteers always seems to sound great – especially for organizations that are low on funds and have work that needs to get done. But managing volunteers is a job. Plenty of organizations have paid positions, “Volunteer Coordinators,” who do this. When volunteers are out building trails around Flagstaff, Williams or Sedona, you can be sure someone in the Forest Service has set up the trail-building event, has identified tasks and locations, is providing tools and safety gear, has arranged transportation, put together a risk assessment report and will have first aid, water and snacks available. And no doubt, someone in HR has written a job description for both the coordinator and the volunteer. All of this takes time, expertise and money.

If you haven’t thought through the process of organizing volunteers and assigning specific tasks, you’ll learn in a hurry that you’ve asked people to stand around and look at you, waiting for direction. This is a pretty uncomfortable position to be in and a horrific waste of human resources.

Volunteers need and want something in return. it might be free admission to a concert, exercise in the outdoors, a meal, time with a Disney princess, a merit badge or class credit. They most certainly may also need and want a motivational talk and a celebration at the completion of the project. Sometimes a verbal thank you is enough; often, a volunteers’ lunch and awards ceremony is in order.

When Volunteering Doesn’t Work

Volunteering is a wonderful thing, but volunteering does not work in the workplace. For example, when someone says, “I’ll watch the phones for you while you go to a doctor’s appointment, or attend a workshop, or visit your grandmother,” it doesn’t really matter what the reason is, when someone “volunteers” to fill in for you at work, the stage is set for payback or resentment.

 I’ve worked for more than one organization that gives the “teamwork” speech at the annual company picnic about how we’re all in this together and how we help each other out because that’s our culture. That’s a setup for failure. It leads to unrealistic expectations and what I call “assigning responsibility without authority.” 

 Let’s say your job description requires you to accomplish some task, but your position is not equipped with staff to get the work done or funds to pay for hired help. Reminding co-workers about the field day where everybody bonded over rope climbing drills and thus, “you need to stop doing your job and help lead a factory tour for a troupe of traveling mimes from our sister city because the company says ‘we’re a team,’” won’t get the job done. You have no authority to expect others to participate in accomplishing the goal; yet, it’s your responsibility to lead the company in international mime visits and you will be held accountable.

 I can only remember one supervisor in 25 years of public relations jobs who had the foresight to add “public education and outreach” into everyone’s job description. Even if you worked in computers and rarely spoke to humans, you could be held accountable in your annual evaluation for participating in activities that engaged with the public about the company’s mission, products or services. It became everybody’s responsibility because everybody’s job description said so. Some charter schools require students to perform so many hours of public service before they graduate. Sure, they are volunteering, but they are also receiving something in return.

 Volunteers are wonderful, but they aren’t free. It’s important to think through the true costs before posting the recruitment fliers, or asking a co-worker to attend that meeting for you while you’re doing so. QCBN

 By Bonnie Stevens 

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.

Dynamic Growth Characterizes Drake Cement 

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Drake Cement LLC, located on Highway 89 in a rural area about 10 miles north of Paulden in Yavapai County, has exceeded earlier predictions and continues to grow. 

In fact, during the past five years, the workforce has grown from about 80 or so local employees to 107 in the Chino Valley-Paulden area. Another 16 people are involved in administration, accounting and sales at the corporate headquarters in Scottsdale. 

The parent company is in Peru. 

The payroll almost doubled from around $5 million five years ago to an estimated $8 million in 2018. Entry-level jobs start at $16 an hour, with full benefits. Wages can increase to almost double that. 

Drake Vice President for Environment, Health and Safety and Compliance David Chavez says, “Economic indicators forecast continued growth.” 

Because of such expansion, the physical plant has also grown, with an emphasis on improved plant efficiency, maintenance, employee training and safety. 

In the last year, Drake constructed a training facility, complete with locker rooms with showers for employees. In the plans is a sophisticated maintenance shop adjacent to existing offices and the control room area so that mechanical, maintenance and support personnel will have a modern facility to perform plant repairs. Expansion of electrical facilities is also scheduled.  

“Drake has captured 30 percent of the Arizona cement and aggregate market,” said CEO Enrique Rozas, a native of Peru who has been working in Arizona for several years. “We’re supplying cement to a couple of other companies, too. The demand continues to grow.”  

“We’re especially proud that our plant was awarded federal recognition in 2015 and again in 2017 for having the best safety record of any plant in the nation,” said Drake Director of Cement Operations Lawrence “Tony” Turner. “Those are the highest honors the company can receive.”  

Karen Otis, administrative and community involvement coordinator has been with the company for 11 years, says opportunities have increased for company involvement and support of the greater community. 

Turner says the company values its role in the community. “All of us are proud of this facility and the contributions it makes to the local economy in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.”  

The Drake plant opened in June 2011, and has been producing two kinds of cement—Type II for general use and Type V, which has a low alkaline content. Both types of Portland cement are manufactured in a “closed loop” system, which means that virtually no gaseous or particulate emissions occur, say company officials. 

One of the newest cement plants constructed in the United States and the latest to be built in Arizona, the plant is monitored regularly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to make sure no harmful environmental impacts occur.  

Currently, most cement produced is trucked to Maricopa County.  The plant has the capacity for producing up to 2,200 tons of cement a day. 

The limestone supply, which is quarried near the manufacturing plant, is estimated to be good for at least 100 years. 

Chavez says the cement plant is a strong contributor to the community, not just economically, but also socially and culturally. An important relationship, he says, involves having internships and consulting projects with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and Yavapai College (YC). ERAU faculty members and students provide scientific and analytical advice to Drake officials about how the company can continue its success. YC consults about advanced electronic circuitry.  

Drake is a member of several community groups and organizations, including the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Historical Society, the Senior Events Center and similar groups. In addition, the company and its employees support the Chino Valley Police Department, the local schools and Future Farmers of America.    

“We have employees who are active in the Yavapai County Education Foundation, the Yavapai County Spelling Bee, Habitat for Humanity, Women in Business and several Quad Cities job fairs,” he said.  “We also use local vendors and suppliers as much as we can when possible. We want Drake to be viewed as more than just a major employer.  It is a positive community asset.” QCBN 

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN 

 

For more information about Drake Cement LLC, visit drakeus.com. 

 

Photo caption: 

 Drake executives, CEO Enrique Rozas and Director of Cement Operations and Tony Turner take pride in the company’s goals of service, excellence, respect and value.  (Photo by Ray Newton) 

 

 

Melissa Cripps Composing a Life of Business, Service, Music 

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Managing a rewarding career is as much how a person approaches living as what transpires during business hours. That reality was poignantly reinforced in 2018 for Flagstaff’s Melissa Collins Cripps, agent/owner of Melissa Cripps Insurance Agency, Inc.

“My life changed last year when both my parents died within 12 days of each other,” Cripps said. “My mother died of leukemia and my father died of a broken heart 12 days later.”  

Characterizing her “world as a very different place now,” Cripps relishes blessings that have enriched her life and given new meaning to goals and relationships. Every day, she takes to heart her mother’s last words: to avoid judging others.

“I have received many blessings, not the least of which is a closer relationship with my older sister,” Cripps explained. “I have a different perspective on what is important. I don’t have room in my heart for hate or jealousy or resentment.”

For Cripps, the most rewarding aspects of her career always have been interacting with people and forging ahead with an impact. Her solid work ethic and desire to help people led to opening her own State Farm Insurance Agency Sept. 1, 1989. During this, the agency’s 30th year of operation, she mused about how her life all came together.

In 1968, at age 10, Cripps moved with her family to Flagstaff. She later relocated to Tempe to attend Arizona State University (ASU). Working for a family friend, she managed an insurance agency for a consumer lending service. She quickly learned the business, grew to appreciate the industry, and obtained her state insurance license. 

“I had never been in insurance before and had majored in music at university,” she said. “I liked solving problems and fitting the pieces together. It was very hard work in the beginning. I wondered at times if I was going to make it. Now, I look back on 30 years, which seem to have gone by very quickly.” 

Deciding after four years that she wanted to make money for herself rather than an employer, Cripps contacted major insurance companies about how to start her own agency. She chose to join State Farm because she appreciated the company and its contract for agents.

“However, they would not appoint me as an agent until I had my college degree,” she explained, noting that she had fewer than 20 credit hours remaining. “I was in Tempe at the time and wanted to get back to Flagstaff, so I wrote 22 letters to agencies in Flagstaff to get a job while I finished my degree at Northern Arizona University in night classes.”

State Farm Agent Bill Trent hired her for the two years until graduation and the State Farm approval to open her own agency.    

“I have worthwhile work where I can help people in so many different ways, not just through selling products, but by helping [clients] plan for the unexpected,” she explained. “I love working with people and helping them.”

Cripps attributes her business success to a strong focus on “doing a good job, doing the right thing and developing relationships, not only with clients and potential clients, but also with members of the community.”  

Some of that civic involvement indeed is music to others’ ears. Cripps began playing cello at age 12, ultimately participating in regional and state festivals and attending music camp at NAU. After leaving music for a while after high school, she successfully auditioned for the Flagstaff Symphony and played there for 20 years.

“Ten years ago, my husband and I, along with some brave souls, started Orchestra Northern Arizona,” she recalled, adding that her husband, David Cripps, is the artistic director and conductor. “This orchestra is comprised of mostly amateur players who love playing and have no other opportunities. Our tenth anniversary concert and celebration is in May.”  

That same month, she will complete her Masters of Music in Cello Performance at NAU, where she has studied with Mary Ann Ramos, Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA). “I started this journey after being inspired by attending the Baltimore Symphony Academy in 2014. The culmination of that academy was to play side-by-side with the professional musicians of the Baltimore Symphony.” 

No matter the situation, Cripps has composed her own path to success, filling life’s pages with notes high and low. Her son, Robert Collins, attends ASU and works at Gateway Community College. As a wife, mother, daughter, businesswoman, mentor and musician, Cripps has authored the sheet music for achieving her goals. 

“I was the first woman [insurance] agent in Flagstaff, and in fact, one of a very few throughout our region,” she said about her initial foray into the industry. “It was challenging to find my voice and stand in my strength, and to be accepted as professional and knowledgeable.”   

She built her business early on by networking through volunteerism. “I simply said ‘yes’ every time someone invited me to be on a committee or board of directors.” When she jumped back into volunteering several years after becoming a mother, she “made a conscious decision to only participate in organizations that fit my mission and passion.”

Cripps since has served on the Flagstaff Arts Council for six years, including two years as president, and regularly contributes to Girls on the Run and “just about anything to do with young people’s development.” A KNAU sponsor, she also is a major contributor to the arts through the Arboretum, Dark Skies, the Viola Awards and Orchestra Northern Arizona.

“My mission is helping to empower women, young and old, and my passion is the arts,” she explained, adding that she’s compiling a long list of “when I graduate” volunteer opportunities, including more involvement in Orchestra Northern Arizona. 

This year, she again plans to sponsor Movies on the Square and will host a refreshment table at the American Cancer Society Climb the Mountain to Conquer Cancer on Aug. 17. 

Having been honored with the Athena Award for leadership from the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce in 1995 and the Flagstaff Arts Council’s Viola Award in 2017, Cripps encourages others navigating the world of life and business to “just do the best job you can.”

She said, “Don’t try to find shortcuts or easy streets. It takes a lot less effort to simply do your job well and with integrity. Never measure success by the amount of money made or the size of the business. Success is knowing you did your best.” QCBN

By Sue Marceau   

  

Photo caption: 

Music has been a life-long love for State Farm agent Melissa Cripps. 

Courtesy photo  

 

TV Antennas Making a Comeback

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Some of us remember the “old days” when homes and apartments had skinny poles sitting on the roofs with even skinner aluminum or chrome-colored arms sticking out in all directions, wavering in the wind.

But, along came cable. Antennas came down.

Now, many are going back up – at least in the Quad Cities area.

That’s according to James Todd, founder and owner of Arizona TV Worx, a Prescott-based business that specializes in digital TV antenna installation, home theater installation, home audio and electronic repair, and vintage electronic equipment repair.

Todd said in the past five years, he has installed well over 600 of the highest gain antennas.

The question Todd gets asked the most is, “What’s the cost for an antenna?”

His answer: “Installed and hooked up to the TVs in the house, $500 – out the door, with no monthly fees for the antenna. It belongs to the buyer.”

Another question.  “How long does it take to install an antenna”?

Todd’s answer? “If it’s a routine installation, I usually can have the antenna up and TVs working in about three hours.”

Worth noting is that the quality of a TV image is dependent on the number of pixels, 720 or 1080 pixels, the number of lines per square inch. Research shows that if a viewer sits more than 10 feet away from the television screen and the screen is no longer than 50 inches diagonally, most viewers can’t tell the difference in image definition.

Most images delivered via the antenna are high definition.

Todd suggested for those who want sports channels or others not available via antenna, subscriptions to streaming alternatives such as Netflix, Sling TV,  Hulu or other combinations are available for a monthly fee. He offers to provide details and assist with initiating the subscription.

Todd has been in the electronics business since his teens. He opened his business almost 14 years ago in Prescott and told the Quad Cities Business News that for the past few years, he has been buried in new business. “Electronic technology, especially improved transmission of TV signals from major stations, has improved to the point that viewers can get better images with a high gain antenna than were ever possible before.”

Before opening his store in the Quad Cities area, Todd owned a television sales and repair shop in Show Low. Before that, he learned about electronics at DeVry University in Phoenix and then spent several years working for major electronic technology firms before he decided to start his own business.

He explained the new high gain antennas provide high definition television reception in most of the greater Prescott area. “Generally, antennas must be in almost line-of-sight from the TV signal repeaters. Repeaters are on Mingus Mountain – Mount Francis. Another is on Mormon Mountain in Flagstaff. If a location is blocked geographically from those signals, then an antenna will not work. I can usually tell almost immediately when people call me, if they tell me their neighborhood, whether an antenna will deliver the signal they need.”

The lanky, sun-tanned Todd sells and installs antennas that are inconspicuous in comparison to ones from 35 or 40 years ago. Only 40” X 32” in size, they are smaller than many “smart” TVs. Further, depending on wiring within a home, multiple TV sets can be linked to them at no extra cost.

Explaining why he thought antennas were gaining popularity, Todd said many viewers were tired of the high costs for other forms of delivery. He also mentioned that consumers were weary of so many commercials and infomercials.

He cited data showing that nationally, people were “cutting the cord” to shift to antennas. In the past year, over-the-air antenna use has gone from 12.3 percent to 12.9 percent – and growing monthly. According to Parks Associates, a market research firm, one-fifth of the households in the U.S. with broadband internet now use an antenna. Closer to home, it’s estimated by Nielsen research in 2017 that 24 percent of viewers in the Phoenix area are now using antennas. Nationally, cable use has dropped from 81 percent to 77 percent.

Todd does say that a disadvantage to antenna use in the region is that fewer channels are available than with other systems. Even so, with the antenna Todd installs, all three major networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – are delivered. So are other popular channels such as KAET public broadcasting, Fox 10, KTVK Arizona Channel 7 and many others. Currently, at least 37 channels are received via antenna in the Prescott area. He said more are likely in the future.

Todd concluded that given the changing viewing habits of the television audiences, especially among younger viewers who have a “wherever, whenever” attitude about the kinds of programs they watch, even bigger and more flexible technological changes are likely in the next few years.

Arizona TV Worx is located at 1450 W. Gurley in Prescott. For more information, contact Todd at jtoddcitilink@gmail.com or 928-445-8442. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Manifesting the Magic of Momentum

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Momentum may have best been described by Sir Isaac Newton, only he called it inertia: An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. I wouldn’t go so far as to call your boss, supervisor or team leader an unbalanced force, but who would argue with Sir Newton?

Scott Cochrane wouldn’t. He is the vice president of International Ministries, Willow Creek Association. He says loss of momentum is always about leadership. His list of ways to kill momentum include: overplanning, dragging out decisions, not communicating results and reorganizing.

Leaders who are afraid to make a move will stay very busy overplanning. They may do copious amounts of research, conduct an exhausting exercise of “checking in” with associates, schedule a nauseating number of meetings and still not make a decision. They may be perfectionists or people pleasers, but they are not decision makers, effective leaders or motivators. I once worked for a director of an organization who filled her calendar with meetings. I believe she thought staying busy meant work was getting done. What it did was stop others completely – so they could attend her meetings – and build a lot of resentment.

Not communicating results is confusing, but I would say disrespectful, too, and can make momentum’s head spin. I know a general manager who was in the habit of nominating her team’s projects for awards, but didn’t share that information with the team members. They had no idea their work was being appreciated and certainly had no feedback that their efforts were worthy of national recognition. I don’t know if she was trying to protect them from disappointment, but it does feel good just to be nominated. Why miss out on that encouragement?

Reorganizing is something that seems to be the right of every new leader, and it might even be necessary, but it’s hard to keep energy flowing in one purposeful direction when your desk, chair and file cabinets are being driven somewhere else. Think about the last time you moved into a new home. Finding a coffee mug and a clean spoon can become a time-consuming, energy-sapping exercise. I worked with an organization that was constantly moving people in and out of offices, up and down floors and even into different buildings. In four years, I can count at least four different office moves.

Business coach Tony Robbins says momentum is something that we can create and also break. He calls momentum the force that pushes passionate people to get excited and successful people to breed further success. Aligning with Sir Newton, he calls momentum “the business of physics success.”

To manifest the magic of momentum, Robbins offers three steps: 1) Get obsessively excited. 2) Go get the best tools, mentors and plan. 3) Follow through like there’s no turning back. Rather than being afraid to make a move, he says, “Overachievers are more afraid of what life will be like if we don’t follow through!”

President John F. Kennedy may well have been the momentum poster child of the 1960s when he said, “We choose to go to the Moon.” That momentum continues to be felt this year as the world marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and Neil Armstrong’s “one small step.”

Robbins suggests momentum can make the difference between making a living and designing a life, which may be well worth steering clear of unbalanced forces. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.